Created by Jordan Gilman, ECE Building Deputy. (2023)

 

I am certainly not an expert or well trained on the Hazardous Communication Standard, this information here is from some quick searching over the internet so I have a better idea myself as to what the Hazardous Communication Standard is. I thought I would share some of it in case this would be helpful to whomever is designated the manager of the SDS Binders in the lab area. OSHA requires employers to provide employees with the current updated information on the hazardous materials they are working with or around. OSHA can issue citations and fines for not meeting their workplace requirements, so it is important we get this right. Not just because OSHA requires it, but for the safety of the personnel utilizing the space. They call them hazardous materials for a reason.

 

The MSDS binder are considered outdated. As of 2015 MSDS was streamlined to a global standard which is now referred to as SDS (Safety Data Sheets) It is possible that all of the hazardous material in the space are already in the binder, but they need to have the newest SDS sheets of those hazardous materials. If that is not the case the sds binder manager is basically starting from scratch. Required sections of the SDS (Safety Data Sheets) which is in concern to chemical and material hazards can be found here. 

 

I read the requirements and it states it can be in a binder or electronic format but would also need to have a way to be accessed in the event of a power outage. In my mind the binder is pretty much a requirement. To my knowledge we do not have a generator or battery backup in the event of a short-term outage. These SDS sheets would be obtained through the search of individual companies/ suppliers of the hazardous materials. OSHA does not supply these SDS sheets they expect the companies selling the products to create and provide that information. Some hazardous materials include chemicals, compressed gases, solder, welding rods and abrasive wheels/ disks. Please try to include items such as these.

 

SDS binders should be updated whenever a new hazardous material is introduced, and sheets can also be removed for hazardous materials that are no longer used/ available in the space. I would encourage your team to review the sds binders on an annual basis and if sheets are more than 3 years old its time to go to the company’s website and print a current one.

 

Also, the containers that hold these hazardous materials must be properly labeled. Please refer to OSHA for more information. 

 

Here is a YouTube video to help someone get started with an SDS binder. 

 

An updated SDS binder that can be purchased on Amazon here or may also be available through a supplier on Ariba. Be sure to have one for each lab using hazardous materials if your binder still says MSDS, ECE Safety Committee prefers it be replaced with a new SDS binder which is the “new” current standard.